Ready Or Not
by Wllflwr98
Summary: While spending time in Philly during Easter weekend, Cory and Topanga are faced with an issue that catches them off guard. While struggling with the frightening idea, one question continues to haunt the weekend and their future: are they ready, or not?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey, all! This is story #4 in my Meeting The World Fanfic series, a collection of stories that follows the BMW gangs live's after their departure in Brave New World up until the start of Girl Meets World. I hope you enjoy this story, thanks for reading!**_

The late March, afternoon skies were bright grey and masked with a thin layer of clouds, matching with the pale, frozen grass and bare winter trees that bordered the highway. A pair suitcases were carelessly piled in the back seat of Cory and Topanga's car, and Cory's favorite local Philly radio station was playing as he cheerfully hummed the melody to a song that frequently came on that channel.

Topanga, on the other hand, was enjoying two simple things of the road trip: the sights of the Philadelphia scenery that passed them by, which was something she missed while living in NYC, and her husband's chipper, upbeat attitude.

Nothing brought her nearly as much satisfaction as seeing Cory show his enthusiastic, goofy side which was so well-known and amusing to his family and friends...it meant that he was at his absolute happiest, and Topanga could never hate seeing that.

The two of them were in Philadelphia for the weekend to enjoy a traditional Easter with the Matthews, Shawn, and Mr. Feeny. As of lately, school had been going pretty well for the both of them, Eric was thriving in his job as a caretaker at the local orphanage in NYC, and Shawn had been doing a little better since he had quit his job.

After a positive conversation with Angela over the phone, he began getting involved in a job with a local newspaper, hoping that would lead to an opportunity in journalism so that he could use both his photography and writing skills.

Anyways, as the exit to the gang's old hometown started getting closer, Cory began pulling over a couple lanes, still softly humming along with another song that had started playing on the station.

The plans were to stop at Chubbie's with Shawn and Eric, who were trailing behind them on the highway, for a small lunch to tie them over until a fulfilling dinner at the Matthews' favorite restaurant to go to around the Easter weekend: Barelli's.

As Cory pulled off at the exit, Topanga smiled at her husband's joyous demeanor and reached out to rub his shoulder blades.

"I love seeing you so happy, Cory." Topanga said as Cory turned and returned her soft smile. "What with college and jobs consuming our lives lately, I haven't had a lot of quality time like this with you."

"Yeah, well, things have started mellowing out a bit as of lately, so I've had a little more time to actually _enjoy_ my life." Cory said, showing his wife a loving smile.

Silence occupied their attention for a few moments afterwards, as they started noticing the familiar locations and hangouts of their hometown. Suddenly, Cory interrupted the silence with his thoughtful tone.

"So-do you think it's time?"

Feeling taken aback by the unclarity of the question, Topanga frowned and contracted her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"You know?"

Topanga shook her head, wishing he would just get to his point.

"Topanga, don't you ever think about what happened around this time last year? The moment when we thought our lives were about to take a totally different path?"

"Cory, would you just get to your point?"

"The _b-a-b-y_ scare? Doesn't that ever cross your mind?"

Topanga paused. "Once and awhile it does, Cory, but we're not ready for that yet."

"Why not? Didn't I just say that things have been calming down a little?"

"Yes, they have, but not enough to have a _baby._"

The silence returned once more as the two of them uncomfortably reflected on what had just been mentioned. They only occasionally talked about a baby, and even when they did, it was usually just discussed in laughter and remembrance as the old baby outfit from Shawn and Angela was rediscovered.

"If we can't consider it now, then when will we be able to?" Cory asked in a more thoughtful, honest tone.

Catching her husband's soft, smiling glance, Topanga squeezed his arm comfortingly. "I think it'll just-happen. And we'll know when it does, and _then_ we'll be ready."

The two of them concluded the conversation with a brief, gentle kiss, just as Chubbie's came into sight.


	2. Chapter 2

After everyone had given their greetings and caught up on what had happened since their Christmas visit, dinner time started to come around, forcing everyone upstairs to get fancied up for Barelli's.

Topanga sighed as she ran a hairbrush through her thick, tangled hair and adjusted the temperature on her hair straightener. As much as she enjoyed spending time over dinner with her family and friends, Barelli's wasn't exactly her favorite place to do so. The restaurant was very proper and fancy, so getting ready to go there was always a painful hassle.

What was bugging her even more about it was the fact that Cory had only taken 5 minutes to get ready, as he only had to give his hair a short comb and quickly jump into a suit. Guys were luckier than they realized, because it took them so little time to prepare for anything, whereas girls were always the ones who made their husbands wait as they finished their makeup and messed with their hair.

Or maybe Topanga's extra agitation that night had to do with the fact that she wasn't really feeling very well in the first place. Ever since their lunch stop at Chubbie's, she had been struggling with a little nausea.

Assuming her burger just wasn't sitting right with her, Topanga tried to ignore it and enjoy talking with her family. Nevertheless, as dinner time drew closer, her nausea was still hanging around, along with the sudden pains of a growing headache.

Rubbing little circles in her temples, Topanga grimaced as she finished getting ready, flipping off the light in the bathroom of their guest bedroom and sitting beside Cory, who was stretched out on the bed while enjoying a brief TV break.

"You finally ready to leave, darling?" Cory said as he turned off the TV, using his strange pronunciation of the word 'darling' by leaving off the 'r'.

"I think so..." Topanga said, still massaging her temples. "Hey, Cory, do I feel warm to you? Feel my head—"

Frowning in concern, Cory laid his palm against her forehead, then shook his head. "No, you feel fine. Why? Are you feeling sick?"

"A little bit..." Topanga responded.

"Do we need to stay here?"

"I don't think so. I just think Chubbie's isn't sitting well with me."

Still giving her an uneasy look, Cory agreed and joined everyone downstairs for the drive to Barelli's.

Sliding into a couple booths with everyone, Topanga glanced around at the scene; it was in high school when she had last eaten here. Every table was covered in a spotless, snow white table cloth, along with a lit candle neatly placed in the middle with menus fancily arranged around it.

Everyone around them wore suits and dresses, politely smiling and laughing with each other as they all daintily scooped bites of salad or rare sirloins into their mouths. It always bothered Topanga when she came to there, because she felt like once she had taken her seat and was surrounded by classy, courteous people, she felt constantly uptight and overly aware of how she acted.

Tonight was especially uncomfortable, as sitting in a tight dress and holding her shoulders back properly was the last thing she wanted on her mind while feeling so nauseous and achey.

However, it was her turn to order, and she hadn't even had time to convince herself to eat anything at all.

"Topanga, you just wanna split something? We could divide up a steak and salad." Cory offered, knowing that his wife wasn't feeling very well.

"Umm, sure, that sounds good." Topanga replied.

After choking down dinner _and_ a bit of dessert, Topanga could barley hold it all down long enough to get back home. She was also uneasily aware that Cory kept turning his attention off the road to glance at her, which only made her feel even more nauseous.

"Topanga," Cory began cautiously as Topanga shut her eyes and started inhaling slowly. "Are you okay?"

Without opening her eyes, Topanga continued breathing deeply as she nodded. "I'll be fine, just-just...could you break the speed limit a little, please?"

Cory started as she said that, pressing on the gas a little harder and anxiously scanning the area for a gas station. "Here, I'll pull over at the next gas station, alright?"

Soon enough, Cory had stopped the car and was kneeling down on one knee, supporting Topanga with his firm grasp while she threw up in the dark, back lot of a gas station.

As her vomiting decreased from dry heaving to a finish, Topanga began panting as she tried to catch her breath, planting her palm into the gravely ground to support her shaking body. Cory rubbed his wife's arms and softly murmured reassuring words to her as she calmed down.

"You okay now, honey?" Cory said, helping her to her feet and sitting her on the hood of their car.

Topanga breathlessly nodded, pulling her hair behind her back as she checked her dress for any regurgitated Barelli's.

Cory gently sat next to her, slowly rubbing her back as he concernedly eyed her. Sliding his hand up the back of her neck and stretching his free hand towards her forehead, he checked to see if Topanga had a fever now.

"You still don't feel like you have a fever."

"I don't think I do." Topanga said. "Hey, what did you have at Chubbie's earlier today?"

"I had the same thing you ordered."

Well, that scratched food poisoning off the list. Mentally scanning over the remaining options, Topanga could only come up with two conclusions: she had picked up a stomach bug before coming into Philly, or she was—

_'Yeah, right,' _Topangascoffed inside her head at the idea of pregnancy. She had been telling Cory only a few hours ago that when the time would come, she _would know_ it had arrived, and she didn't truly _know_ at the moment.

As she continued to think about it, however, the idea started to become more believable. It had been awhile since she had had her-well, you get the picture. She _had_ also been feeling a little off lately; what if she actually _was _pregnant?

Suddenly, Topanga started feeling overwhelmed with nausea again, and she wasn't sure if it was from the possibility of being pregnant or from whatever illness she was currently fighting with.

"I'm gonna be sick again—" Topanga said, jumping off the hood and separating herself at a good distance from the car, Cory hurrying behind her as she was forced on the ground with the convulsions once more.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, there you guys are..."

Shawn grinned as Cory and Topanga entered the living room, stretched out on the couch in his lounge pants as he watched TV. The living room was a little messy, as wrinkled clothes were sticking out of duffel bags thrown on the floor and a blow-up mattress was lying where the coffee table usually sat. Eric and Shawn always slept in the living room while staying overnight in Philly nowadays, considering the fact that since Cory and Topanga where married, they got the only guest bedroom in the house.

"Where've you been? We came home from Barelli's almost an hour ago." Shawn asked.

"Oh, yeah...uhh—" Cory started chuckling nervously as he always did when he tried to brainstorm an excuse. Before he could answer, however, his attention was attracted to Topanga suddenly darting up the stairs.

Contracting his eyebrows in confusion, Shawn turned to Cory. "What's wrong with her?"

Beginning his chuckling again, Cory quickly avoided the question before following Topanga, "Her favorite TV show must be on—"

Just as Topanga reached the top of the stairs, Amy and Alan walked out of their bedroom. "Hey, where have you guys been?" Amy asked as Topanga rushed by.

Shooting an anxious smile at them, Topanga quickly slid into the room and closed the door, leaving the two of them feeling awfully confused.

Their confusion only increased as Cory followed suit, acting exactly as Topanga did by briefly smiling and slamming the door of their bedroom.

"What was that?" Amy said in a shocked tone, looking up at Alan and starting for the bedroom.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, it had privacy written all over it." Alan said, pulling his wife back and leading her downstairs. "We'll find out what's going on later..."

Cory supported Topanga's limp frame and spoke comfortingly into her ear as she bent over the toilet, retching out whatever her body could let her. Having just spent nearly half an hour in the back of the gas station, he was feeling pretty helpless and increasingly concerned after watching Topanga get sick over and over, eventually reaching the point of having barely anything to gag up.

As the last of Barelli's seemed to leave her system, Topanga laid against the bathtub as her head weakly fell into her hands. Cory busied himself with harshly scrubbing his hands with soap and water, which was what he had been wanting to do since they had stopped at the gas station. As much as he loved his wife and was always willing stay by her side when she was sick, a germ-freak like him couldn't sit still at the thought of bacteria crawling all over his hands.

"I don't think I've ever felt so sick before..." Topanga moaned.

Bending down with a dripping washcloth in his hand, Cory gently placed it over the back of her neck and kissed her on the forehead before standing up. "I'm going downstairs to get what we picked up at the convenience store, alright? I'll be right back."

Jogging down the stairs of the kitchen, his dress shirt now messily un-tucked and his tie unraveling, Cory peeled back the grocery bag that sat on the counter, taking out a bottle containing a brand of antiemetic, a packet of crackers, and a liter of ginger ale.

"Cory, what's going on? Is everything alright?" Amy startled Cory as she spoke, sitting at the kitchen table with Alan while sipping some late night, decaf coffee.

Turning back to the stuff lying on the counter, Cory responded, "No, Mom, not exactly. Topanga's been sick ever since we left Barelli's. We had to park in the back lot of a gas station for half an hour while she threw up, so I got these—" He held up his supplies as he turned around.

By then, Shawn was cooly leaning in the doorway of the kitchen, his arms crossed over his chest as he listened. "How sick is she?"

The hiss of fizzing ginger ale filled the kitchen as Cory poured some into a glass. "Well, she doesn't have a fever, but she's feeling pretty bad."

"I'll go check on her-" Amy said as she started for the stairs.

"Amy, Cory can take care of her, they're married now." Alan assured her.

"Actually, this is the first time that Topanga's been really sick since we've been married, so a little experience wouldn't hurt." Cory said, carrying the supplies upstairs as Amy trailed behind.

They found Topanga in the same position as Cory had left her earlier, her head lying in her arms as she waited for the next bout of vomiting to return.

"Oh, poor thing..." Amy cooed under her breath as she caught sight of Topanga curled up against the bathtub. Bending down beside her as Cory prepared the antiemetic by the bathroom counter, Amy carefully lifted Topanga's head and, with motherly concern, softly brushed her hand over her pale cheek.

"Topanga, honey, what's wrong?"

Just shaking her head, Topanga returned to her prior position as Amy ran her fingers through her hair, trying to look into her eyes. Sharing a concerned glance with Cory as he brought over the antiemetic, Amy realized there wasn't a whole lot she would be able to do for Topanga at the moment.

Alan was right: Cory and Topanga were married now, and all Topanga needed was her husband.

However, as Amy softly kissed Topanga's head and stood up, Topanga suddenly muttered, "How did you do it?"

Confused by such a vague question, Amy narrowed her eyes and paused before answering, "What?"

"How did you do it _four_ times?" Topanga's tone was full of despair as she lifted her head. "I can't even make it through one!"

"One what? Topanga, what are you talking about?"

Topanga swallowed as fear rattled her voice, "I think I'm pregnant."

"What?" Amy and Cory responded in unison.

"I think I'm pregnant—I _really _think I might be pregnant..."

Cory chuckled as he left the medicine on the counter, taking a seat on the toilet and looking his wife in the eyes with a disbelieving smile. "That's really funny, Topanga. You must be delirious, are you sure you don't have a fever?"

Topanga smacked Cory's hand away as he reached for her forehead, shooting him a fierce expression. "I will throw up on you."

That definitely showed Cory his wife wasn't kidding; it also made him flinch enough to nearly fall off the toilet.

"Topanga, what makes you think you're pregnant? You're probably just sick with a stomach flu!" Amy said as she sat beside Topanga.

"I'm late-_really _late!" Topanga began, her tone unstable and quivery as her eyes were glazed with incoming tears. "I've been feeling unusually tired lately, and-"

Cory interrupted as he tried to calm his wife. "That's just because of college, Topanga-"

"I thought it was, too! But, I wasn't ever this tired even _during finals!_ And I've felt so moody and achy lately-you've been around me, Cory! Haven't I been pretty crabby?"

Giving a single chuckle and shrug, Cory responded, "Well, maybe a _little_, but I knew better than to bring it up—"

"See?" Topanga was on the verge of tears as she finished. "My body hasn't been feeling right lately! What am I going to do?"

"Okay, first of all, you're not going to get so upset over this..." Amy said, wrapping her arm around a sniffling Topanga. "Honey, you may not even be pregnant-in fact, I highly doubt that you are."

"Yeah, Topanga, it can't be possible. We're a _lot_ smarter than that, and you said it yourself _just _this afternoon—we'll know when the time comes, and I don't think that time has come yet." Cory said, sliding down on the floor beside Topanga.

Her feelings didn't seem to be influenced, however, so Amy came up with a suggestion. "Why don't I make you an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow morning to calm your conscience? He'll have the chance to figure out what you're sick with, and if he notices something that seems unusual, he'll ask you to see an obstetrician, alright?"

Topanga just sniffled again and laid her head against Amy's shoulder. While her own husband and mother-in-law were strongly doubtful of it, Topanga was becoming increasingly convinced that she was pregnant.


	4. Chapter 4

It was well into early hours of the morning before Cory and Topanga got a chance to lie down. As the sun began dragging itself above the horizon, weakly shining its first rays of day through the closed blinds of the window, the two of them were finally lying side by side on the bed. They still hadn't taken off their now-wrinkled dress clothes, and the bed sheets weren't even pulled back, yet they were so tired that they didn't even have to worry about falling asleep.

Actually, at least one of them didn't have to.

While his wife laid against his chest, her side rising and falling at the pattern of her sleeping breaths, Cory could only think about the fact that in the present moment, his _child _could be growing right beside him. Even though caring for a wife as sick as his was really exhausting, the thought of having a wife that was possibly _pregnant_ was enough to scare away all that exhaustion.

What if Topanga was actually pregnant? _How in the world_ were the two of them even _slightly_ ready for something as life-changing as a _baby? _If Topanga really _was _expecting, the baby would be born right around the time of college finals next winter. It was almost _impossible_ for Topanga to finish college while simultaneously caring for a new born. In fact, Cory was 99.9% sure it _was _impossible.

Afterwards, money would be coming in in sparse amounts, since Topanga would have to give up her job, and Cory would be left with the pressure of single-handedly providing for _three _people instead of just two. The thought of it all was enough to make Cory feel sick as well.

However, the indescribably joyful feeling that he felt back during Topanga's pregnancy scare in college was enough to fade the negativity of the situation. It was truly priceless to imagine holding the tiny figure of a baby that _he_ had played a part in making, feeling overcome with the love for them and the excitement that the future would create with them.

Smiling to himself as he recognized the positivity of the situation, Cory glanced down at his sleeping wife and gently left a kiss on her forehead. He was getting close to actually feeling _excited_ for the doctor's appointment later that morning.

It would be hard, but once the difficulties were gone, it wouldn't even matter. A new Matthews would be born, and that would be worth going through every difficulty on the planet.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day appeared as one would expect Good Friday to look over 2,000 years ago; the blue skies were completely masked by a thick layer of grey clouds through which the sun could barely shine. Rain showers sprinkled in random spurts throughout the morning, seeming to wash away the previous plans of going hiking later that afternoon with Mr. Feeny and Lila.

Having slept fitfully for only a couple hours, Cory and Topanga were hardly awake when they came down to breakfast. They had finally changed into clean, comfortable clothes, creating a presentable appearance on the outside; yet on the inside, they felt like a mess.

It was an overwhelming, distracting feeling knowing that your life had the possibility of changing in just a few mere hours.

As she prepared a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, crispy strips of bacon, and steamy, soft biscuits with melted butter, Amy sympathetically followed Cory and Topanga with her eyes as she noted the pale exhaustion in their faces.

"How're you feeling, Topanga?" Amy asked with tender concern as she placed a plate of dry toast and eggs in front of her.

Taking a dismissive glance at the food, Topanga forced herself to politely smile. "Not much better, but I'll be fine."

Amy sadly patted her back before returning her attention to breakfast preparations. "I called the doctor, and they didn't have many appointments today, so they were able to schedule you for 11:00 AM."

"Thank you." Topanga replied.

Just as the rest of the guys were attracted into the kitchen by the delicious scents and juicy sizzling of cooking bacon, Mr. Feeny and Lila came in through the back door.

"Well, it seems our plans for a pleasant nature hike today have washed down the drain—literally." Mr. Feeny said, motioning outside as the rain streamed with increasing rapidity down the windows.

"That's alright, George—maybe we'll do it some other time." Alan said as he strapped little Joshua into his high-chair.

"You and Lila are more than welcome to stay for breakfast, we've got plenty." Amy said, cramming the steaming food onto a tray.

"I'll get some more chairs from the garage." Alan said.

Just then, two seats suddenly opened up, as Topanga, feeling sick to her stomach at the strong scent of food, jumped up from her chair and ran up the backstairs while Cory followed behind her.

Looking bewildered, Mr. Feeny and Lila glanced from Amy to Alan for an explanation.

"You can have their seats, they probably won't be back." Alan said.

"Topanga's not been feeling very well at all since dinner at Barelli's last night." Amy said as she balanced the heavy tray of food, placing it in the middle of the table and taking up Topanga's untouched breakfast as Mr. Feeny and Lila sat down.

"A touch of food poisoning, I suppose?" Mr. Feeny guessed.

"I guess—Topanga, on the other hand, has her mind set on a completely _different_ idea..." Amy said, taking her seat at the table.

Beginning to help himself to the breakfast, Mr. Feeny asked, "And what would that be?"

"She thinks she's pregnant." Amy said.

"She does?" Shawn said, unaware of the talk Amy and Cory had had with Topanga last night. "Why?"

"Shawn, I'm _sure_ you can guess _why_." Amy said, trying to avoid talking about the awkwardness of pregnancy.

Shawn, however, still seemed clueless, staring at Amy with a look that showed he was waiting for more.

"You know, just things going on with her hormones and stuff." Amy said as Shawn finally seemed to get it.

"Ah.." Mr. Feeny remarked in between bites of his scrambled eggs. "Not a lot of studying is accomplished before one of _those_ tests come along-has she taken it yet?"

"No, she didn't take a pregnancy test, I scheduled a doctor's appointment for her this morning." Amy said.

"How's Cory taking it?" Shawn asked with a smirk and a tone of soft amusement. "Did he freak out?

"No, he doesn't believe her." Amy said. "He thinks they've been too smart up to this point, and that the time for that to happen isn't now."

Shawn chuckled as he spread his biscuit with grape jelly. "He's in doubt—I can't wait to see his reaction if Topanga really is pregnant, it'll be priceless..."

Mr. Feeny grinned along with Shawn. "While that is true, I have no doubt that both he and Topanga will make wonderful parents." Then, looking to Amy and Alan, he continued, "And you two, wonderful _grandparents_."

"Thank you." Amy said with a melancholy smile. "I'm still worried for them, though. I mean, they seem so young to be parents-and I'd _like_ to _think_ I'm too young to be a _grandma_."

Joshua, who was busy scrambling his eggs even more with his destructive toddler fingers, let out a bubbly coo and showed off his grin, which was developing as teeth were slowly sprouting from his gums.

"And _Joshie_ here is _way _too young to be an _uncle_!" Amy said in a playful, babyish tone as she tried to wipe his greasy face.

"What about me?" Eric said, goofily forcing an expression that he hoped was making him look as adorable as his baby brother.

"I think you're too _insane_ to be an uncle." Alan remarked.


	6. Chapter 6

Awhile later, once everyone had moved to the living room to enjoy post-breakfast coffee and conversation together, Cory and Topanga finally came downstairs, as prepared as they could be for their doctor's appointment.

"You two ready to go?" Amy said as she stood up, heading to get her purse as she had offered to drive them.

"Not mentally ready, but we're about as ready as we'll ever be." Topanga said with a worried smile as she wrangled on her coat.

"Sorry to hear you're feeling under the weather, Topanga." Mr. Feeny said, sitting in a nearby seat and holding a hot cup of coffee which warmed his hands.

"It's alright, I'll be fine." Topanga weakly smiled. "I just hope I'm not _pregnant_."

"If you don't mind me asking, why?" Mr. Feeny said.

"I just think we're not ready yet, what with me _and_ Cory back in school while juggling our jobs at the same time—having a baby would add too much stress right now."

"Yes, that is true." Mr. Feeny said thoughtfully. "However, bearing a child brings indescribable joy as well; perhaps that's just what you both need in the midst of all the new stresses you're experiencing."

"Yeah, but _Baby_ also brings Mommy and Daddy a _wot_ of money, which _Mommy _and _Daddy _don't have wight now." Cory said in a sassy, baby-talk tone.

Pulling a plastic bag or two out of his pocket, Cory continued, "Okay, I've got a couple of doggie-bags for our sick doggie—" He reached over and playfully scratched Topanga's ear. Scowling, she tried to dodge his hand and tuck the messed up hair back behind her ear. "So, we should be good to go."

"I wish you the best of health, Topanga, and remember; whatever happens today will have a reason behind it. I believe if you maintain your trust, everything will work out fine." Mr. Feeny said as they headed out the door and waved to everyone else in the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Staring at the cold, checkered tile floor of the doctor's office from her position on the examination table, Topanga struggled to control her thoughts of nervous expectancy from the results of her current appointment. Everything seemed to have gone fine; she had been able to calm her nauseated stomach during the appointment, and the doctor didn't seem concerned over anything.

She just couldn't step out of the unfamiliar shadow cast by the _"what if"_ question that had haunted her since last night.

Sympathetically gazing at his wife, Cory could tell Topanga was feeling really bothered and anxious. He moved from his seat a few feet away to stand beside her, leaning against the examination table as he reached over to softly kiss her cheek and rub her back.

"Remember what Feeny said, Topanga; everything will work out fine." Cory said, trying to reassure her.

"Cory, I don't think Feeny knows what's best for us right now, but _we __do_. And I don't think a baby's going to help either of us right now."

"I know, Topanga, but—"

"Think about college would have to put it off for a year to take care of the baby, and what good would that do? It could possibly mess up my law career, and becoming a lawyer is something I _really _have my heart set on."

"Topanga, listen to me—I don't think any of that's gonna happen."

"And why do you feel so sure of that?"

"Because, Feeny was right; everything _will _work out for the good, and the _good_ for _us_ right now is not having a baby. Okay? We're _not_ having a baby, Topanga, because _that_ wouldn't be working out for our good."

Just then, the doctor came back in, flipping through the papers on his clipboard as he headed for the sink counter to scribble down some final notes. As he clicked his pen closed, he looked up at Cory and Topanga with a smile that hinted at excitement.

"Mrs. Matthews, I think you have a case of morning sickness."

Chuckling, Cory asked with humorous anxiety in his tone, "Come again?"

"I think you've got a pregnant wife on your hands, bud." the doctor said, still grinning as he turned back to his clipboard.

"Are you kidding?" Cory said, the humor disappearing in his voice as he began to realize what was going on.

Topanga roughly nudged Cory, trying to keep him from making an embarrassing scene in front of the doctor; she didn't want to show him that they weren't even slightly happy about something as joyful as having a child.

"Oh, wow—" Topanga struggled to add an excitement to her tone as she forced herself to smile. "That's—definitely some news!"

"Yes, it is, but I'm not 100% positive your pregnant; that's for an obstetrician to determine." he said, heading for the door. "I'm going to refer you to one nearby, so I'll call and see if they have an appointment open today."

Once he left, Topanga immediately fell back on the examination table, covering her face with her hands. Letting out a muffled, despairing groan, she snapped, "Cory, you moron! You jinxed it!"

"Topanga, you may not even be pregnant, remember? Only the obstetrician can call the shots on this one!" Cory said, trying to reassure both her and himself.

_Why _couldn't he have just kept his overly-confident mouth shut for a few seconds?!


	8. Chapter 8

Despite all the mental exhaustion that wracked their minds throughout the day, Cory and Topanga went home later that night with a frittered piece of hope still left.

They still had yet to find out if Topanga was pregnant, as the test results wouldn't come back until tomorrow. Trying to keep themselves from going crazy with stress and anxiety, not to mention that they both got less than 4 hours of sleep last night, Cory and Topanga almost immediately went up to their bedroom after coming home from their day of doctor's appointments.

Sprawled out on the bed in his plaid lounge pants, close to drifting off as he watched TV, Cory waited for Topanga finish getting ready for bed. He turned his head to look out the window nearby as a commercial came on, gazing out at the darkening horizon that was softly illuminated by the lights of downtown Philadelphia.

"It's oddly beautiful, isn't it?"

Startled by the sudden sound of Mr. Feeny's thoughtful, accented tone, Cory quickly turned his head to see his teacher gingerly sit beside him on the bed. He must have quietly snuck upstairs and into the bedroom without Cory realizing it.

"Metaphorically speaking, that the gentle, dim glow—seeming distant on the horizon—could resemble you and Topanga's present predicament." Mr. Feeny said, his gaze remaining on the

scene outside the window as he spoke. "You two are left in the dark with everything right now, but I've always had faith that what may seem bad when experienced in the present moment will—in the hopeful glow of the future—work out for a previously unseen benefit."

Cory smiled softly up at his teacher, his head resting in his folded arms as he wondered how that man always did it; he always delivered a short lecture or encouraging snippet of advice _exactly_ when one really needed it.

Cory couldn't think of a single time when what Mr. Feeny had said never helped him at all; he was born with a gift—no doubt about it.

Topanga was leaning in the doorway, smiling right along with Cory and thinking just what he was. As she turned off the light in the bathroom and joined them on the bed, Mr. Feeny smiled and patted her knee.

"Hello, my dear. Feeling any better?" he said.

Smiling politely, Topanga returned, "Just a little, thank you."

"Sorry to interrupt your evening, I'm sure you two are very worn after your long day of appointments—I just had to share something that's been pressing against my mind all day."

"Of course." Topanga said, smiling.

"Always happy to hear what you've got to say." Cory said.

Raising an eyebrow, Mr. Feeny looked at Cory and said, "Now, where was that eager attitude when you were in the classroom?"

Laughing softly and grinning widely, the three of them remembered back on the times spent together in school, Feeny going head to head with Cory and Shawn while answering the panicky questions of the perfectionist that was Topanga—and still is.

As the laughter began to hush, Mr. Feeny continued, "Believe it or not—"

"I HEAR FEENY!"

Eric suddenly screamed from somewhere outside the door, causing everyone in the room to jump out of their skin. Rolling their eyes once they realized who it was, they listened to the padded pounds of Eric stumbling around in the carpeted hallway as he rushed towards the door.

Bursting in the room, he tried to catch his breath as he wagged his finger at Mr. Feeny. "You thought you were going to be able to get in this house without me ever noticing, huh? I was _born_ with Feenstincts, okay, so it's _impossible_ to _ever _put one past me…"

"I realized that _long_ ago when I found I could never get a moment's peace without—well, without _you _sharing it with me…" Mr. Feeny said wistfully.

As Eric climbed onto the bed with Cory and Topanga, Shawn trailed behind Eric, smiling as he saw Mr. Feeny. "Hey, Mr. Feeny, didn't know you were here!"

"Come and join us, Mr. Hunter." Mr. Feeny smiled, motioning at the last empty spot on the bed. "I was planning on just telling this to Cory and Topanga, but I think it could involve all of you."

Once everyone got settled in, the TV muted and the room now silent for Mr. Feeny to start his story, he began, "Cory and Topanga, I know this weekend hasn't gotten off to a leisurely start like you had anticipated, but your current situation has given me the chance to tell you a story I haven't told _any _of you before."

"Believe it or not, I once felt the exact fearful feeling you two are experiencing right now with my first wife Lillian. About a year after we got married, both of us suddenly lost our jobs, and we were desperately seeking employment when Lillian fell ill. A few days later, the doctor told us she was pregnant."

"It's was a very terrifying thought when first realized, but as we become used to the reality of it all, it was actually quite exhilarating. After both of us calmed down, we were overjoyed at the idea of being mother and father to our very own child."

Suddenly, Mr. Feeny paused, looking down at his hands as he nervously twiddled his thumbs, trying to muster the strength to finish his story. "Tragically, we weren't fortunate enough to experience priceless joy of being a parent. And after Lillian's miscarriage, we never had the courage to give ourselves the chance to do so again."

Silence followed for moments afterwards, as everyone tried to process the fact that Feeny was once supposed to become a parent. They were all stunned and utterly heartbroken for him.

Mr. Feeny softly smiled as he continued, glancing around at Eric, Shawn, Cory and Topanga. "However, I have been richly blessed to taste a bit of those feelings through teaching. And the rewards and pleasures that I can imagine would come with parenting, I have felt through you four more than anyone else I have ever taught."

"So, despite the loss of one child, I feel I have gained four others."

Nobody said anything, but to Mr. Feeny, the gratified smiles on everyone's faces and the hints of tears in their eyes spoke more than 1,000 words.

"My point is for _you_, Cory and Topanga, to _never_ take for granted the joys of having a child, because without any warning, that rare _gift_ can be taken away and lost forever."

With the tender deliverance of those words, Cory and Topanga began to feel their attitudes towards their situation develop into a completely different feeling. And, like always, they owed that to their amazing teacher.


	9. Chapter 9

Considering the eventful weekend Cory and Topanga had been welcomed with so far, one would think that at 3:43 AM, they would both be completely knocked out. Sleepy, however, was the last thing they were feeling at the moment.

As Topanga laid on her side in bed, the bright glow of the moon, lonesome in the dark, clouded sky, reflected off of her wide, alert eyes. Her mind continually darted towards thoughts and emotions of the last 24 hours, shooing away any traces of sleep that tried to overtake her body. All she could focus on was the phone call that would be coming tomorrow, telling her and Cory whether or not they were officially future parents.

Suddenly rolling over to face Cory, Topanga whispered, "Cory? Are you asleep?"

"No, why?" Cory asked, quickly sitting up and hesitantly pushing the bedcovers of himself. "Are you sick?"

Topanga shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

Folding his arm underneath his head and lying back on his pillow, Cory faced his wife and yawned, hints of a sleepy smile in his face. "What is it, then?"

"I just-" Topanga sighed, trying to figure out how translate her nervous thoughts into a sentence. "I can't stop thinking about Mr. Feeny, and what he said..."

"Oh, yeah, about his kid..." Cory said sadly. "He said it would have been a boy, right?"

"Yeah, I think so-" Topanga said, trying to get to her point, "When he told us to never take for granted the joys of a child, I felt my point of view towards this situation change-did you?"

Cory descended his unblinking gaze from his wife's eyes for a moment, reflecting on his answer for a second. Looking up and into Topanga's expectant eyes, he said, "I did."

Completely silent for a few moments, the two shared a thoughtful gaze, as if trying to silently feel each others inner emotions that currently filled both their minds.

Searching underneath the sheets for his wife's hand, Cory fit his fingers into her warm hand, rubbing his thumb across her soft skin as he smiled. "I think we're ready."

Returning his smile and giving his hand a single squeeze, Topanga responded, "I think Mr. Feeny was right; maybe we do need the joy of a baby in our lives right now."

"Well, we'll find out tomorrow..." Cory said, inching closer to his wife as he put his arm around her.

Sharing a short kiss with each other before finally settling into sleep, they both began dreaming with excited anticipation of the _if_ that was to be answered tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

_Ring-ring! Ring-ring! _

_**THUD!**_

Still caught in the bed sheets and only partially awake, Cory had rolled off the bed and onto the floor, straining his sleepy, yet startled eyes to see the alarm clock. Oddly enough, the digital numbers signaled that it was only 8:03 in the morning.

"That can't be them—" Cory said, his eyebrows contracted into a confused expression as he reached for the phone anyways. "It's barely eight o' clock—hello?"

Topanga, who was now wide awake and struggling to slow her pounding heart, crawled towards Cory's side of the bed and tried to listen over his shoulder as he sat on the floor, frozen while listening to the caller's voice.

Following a few moments of tense waiting, Cory nodded as he smiled. "Okay, will do. Thanks, bye."

"Who was that?" Topanga said, her tone rising in panicky anticipation.

"It _was_ the doctor's office—" Cory said, unwinding himself from the sheets as he got up from the floor. "But, they were just asking us to come pick up the test results."

"When?"

"Whenever we're ready."

Topanga smiled up at Cory, scooting over as he took his spot back on the bed. "Did they tell you anything else, maybe?"

"No, nothing else." Cory said, grinning back at his wife's antsy behavior. "When do you wanna go?"

"As soon as possible." Topanga said, giving Cory a quick kiss before tossing the bedcovers off and rushing around to get ready.

"So, I guess we're actually excited now, aren't we?" Cory said, watching his wife begin quickly running a comb through her fuzzy bedhead.

Turning around to give Cory a sidelong smile, Topanga responded, "Yes, we are."

"I don't know if this is good, or bad, but I'm starting to forget what our lives were previously like before this weekend went berserk."

"I think it'll be a good thing." Topanga said softly, grinning at Cory as he came into the bathroom and stood beside her.

As they looked into the mirror, seeing the two of them standing side by side, they realized how little time could possibly be left for their family to look like that. Soon enough, they could have a baby joining their group of two, a child they had both played apart in forming, someone who they would lovingly glance down at as they softly cradled him—_or_ her—in their arms.

Wrapping their arms around each other as they glanced into the mirror, they couldn't have smiled any bigger than they were at that moment.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey, you two." Amy said as Cory and Topanga came down the stairs together, clasping onto each others hands and smiling over at Amy and Alan, who were waking up with coffee together at the kitchen table.

"It's a big day, huh?" Alan said.

"Sure is." Cory said with a wide grin, searching the cabinets for a light breakfast before they headed out for the doctor's office.

"You guys look like you're going somewhere, " Amy said. "Where are you going?"

"The doctor's office called to tell us that the test results were in, so we're going to pick them up." Topanga said as she joined them at the table.

"How ya feelin, honey?" Amy said, smiling sympathetically as she reached over to softly place her hand on Topanga's.

"I'm feeling better, thanks." Topanga said. "Just nervous, now."

"Are either of you feeling _excited_ at all?" Alan asked. "I mean, I know having a baby wasn't circled on the calendar, but—"

"Actually, we are." Topanga said. "We weren't, but after Mr. Feeny talked to us last night, his message softened our attitudes on the situation."

"Well, I'm glad that you guys calmed down, because I can guarantee you that you would _never_ want to miss out on the joys of expecting a baby." Amy said, smiling from Cory to Topanga.

"Oh, and Cory, I wanna talk to you before you head out." Alan said, motioning for Cory to follow him upstairs.

Following him into his parents' bedroom, Cory watched Alan fumble through the top drawer of their chest of drawers, pulling a small box out from underneath neatly folded dress shirts. He sat on the unmade bed as he untied the string on the box, patting the empty spot beside him for Cory to sit down.

"I don't know if you remember this, but I haven't forgotten about for seven years—" Alan said, placing the string aside and turning to Cory.

"When you turned twelve years old, I gave you something that meant a lot to me, but ended up meaning very little to you." Alan said, looking Cory in the eyes as he continued.

"Well, you actually lost them for awhile, but when you found them again, you gave them back. And I'm not sure if you did that because you just wanted an excuse to get rid of them, or if you thought you weren't responsible enough to own them."

"Anyways, when you gave them back, you said, 'Give them back to me on the most important day of my life.'"

Cory suddenly smiled, remembering exactly what his dad was talking about.

"I think that _today_ may be that day." Alan said, lifting a glimmering object from the box.

Gently passing them over to Cory, Alan took in every detail of the moment he had imagined for years as he watched his son delicately handle his treasured memento from the Navy, smiling down at the dangling pair of perfectly molded, silver boxing gloves. Thin spots of dust covered them, so Cory leaned forward and softly blew it all away.

Turning to his dad, a smile full of thoughtful gratitude beaming from his face, Cory gently placed them over his neck. "I didn't forget."

The two of them tightly pulled themselves into a hug, gripping each other and roughly patting each other's backs. All the while, the gloves dangled from Cory's chest, symbolizing that he had finally reached the most important day of his life.


	12. Chapter 12

Well—here they are."

The folded slip of paper jerked with the movements of the wind as Cory and Topanga stood outside the doctor's office, looking down at the test results that Cory gripped in his hands. Both their stomachs were lurching in excitement as they imagined what could be inside.

Glancing over at his wife, her eyes still studying the outside the fluttering paper in thought, Cory said, "You wanna open it now?"

Topanga looked up quickly, then cautiously reached for the papers. "I guess there's no better time than now."

As the tip of her finger disappeared under the edges of the envelope, a slow _rip_ sounding as the sticky seal tore, Topanga shut her eyes and bit her lip, preparing herself to snatch the papers out quickly and get it over with. Before she could even do so, Cory suddenly held the envelope shut.

"Cory, what're you—"

"Hold on," he said, grinning mischievously with the sudden idea he had envisioned. "I know of a perfect place to open this."

Jumping into the car and pulling out of the parking lot, Cory guided the car to a treasured place for them both. They had shared their first moments of eye contact, restarted their relationship, _and_ gotten engaged at this place; a beautiful park on the outskirts of downtown Philadelphia.

"Oh, Cory…" Topanga said thoughtfully, smiling softly as she watched the scenery approach from behind the windows of their car.

The tops of skyscrapers from downtown Philadelphia strained over the tops of the trees, appearing a light shade of blue caused by the distance that separated it from the park. Scattered kids laughed and screeched happily as they wrangled themselves to the top of the jungle gym and pursued each other in a game of tag. The blue sky above was decorated with clouds, brilliantly formed into bright white, puffed clusters that slowly shifted across the sky like a vessel on the ocean.

"It's such a beautiful day." Topanga said, her head straining upwards as she admired the sky, closing her car door behind her.

"Sure is." Cory smiled as he lovingly gazed over at his wife, reaching his hand out to hold her's as they leisurely strolled towards their favorite bench.

The wooden bench felt chilly beneath them as they sat down, most likely cooled by the breeze that filled the atmosphere that morning. Cory stretched his arm behind his wife as he sat next to her, taking a deep breath of the early spring air as he looked around the busy park.

"You ready?" Topanga said, her anxious fingers fiddling with the open edges of the envelope as she her wide, nervous eyes glanced at Cory.

Cory paused, a pleasant, relaxed expression on his face as he took in the sights that filled their surroundings. "Almost."

He smiled as he turned to Topanga. "I wanna treasure what could be the last, precious moments of just you and me."

Laying against his shoulder, Topanga closed her eyes and smiled, realizing what he said was true. If they opened this letter and found out they were about to add another member to their family, it would never be just her and Cory anymore. There would always be the presence of another soul with them, even before the baby was born.

However, it would be a joyful presence; a presence that once it was realized, they could never imagine living without.

A few moments spent in silence finally ended, as Cory broke it with his soft words of, "Okay. Let's do it."

Topanga felt her heart jump as she freed the paper from the envelope, unfolding it as she swallowed her nerves. Her eyes darted down the paper, and with a final, huge leap, she found the words that she had anticipated.

Smiling as wide as her facial muscles would allow her, Topanga looked up at Cory and said, "You're gonna be a daddy, Cory."

Choking out tearful laughter, Topanga repeated the words under her breath as Cory snatched paper, smiling as widely as her as he read over it.

"You're gonna be a mommy!" Cory almost shouted, grabbing Topanga and embracing her, the two of them nearly in tears as the news hit them.

From then on, Cory and Topanga were no longer simply _Cory and Topanga_. They were no longer a newly-wedded couple in college. They were a family in the making, and it was a feeling more joyful than they could have ever expected.


End file.
